To comprehend the meaning of ¡§SME-MIT¡¨, this research is focus on the life experiences and entrepreneurial stories of SME-enterprisers who have engaged in manufacturing merchandise in Taiwan. In this research, I adopt Husserlian's Phenomenological perspectives to conduct a holistic analysis on these entrepreneurial stories, and try to converse with them continually with a reflection on myself. The features ¡§SME-MIT¡¨ represents in the process of entrepreneurship are: a conformation of a series of body experiences, a practical attitude about holding fast to what is good, and a family-like chemistry between long-term partners Besides, the The ¡§SME-MIT¡¨ experiences entrepreneurs are founded through a phenomenological approach in the research. They not only have encouraged the enterprisers themself to reconstruct subjectivity and return to their hometown, but also has build up unique competitive advantages of businesses for the enterprisers.

ABSTRACT Bay manufacturing advantages and the value of a condiment, is the island's geographical location, surrounded by the sea, there are year-round spring climate, clean and high environmental awareness of water quality, manufacturing technology, high-quality manufacturing process, test, and because China has a huge market, the population 1.3 billion, a number of domestic consumers, the two sides is the same culture and species, under similar cultural background, as Taiwanese are more likely to open up the mainland's domestic market, persistent efforts to carry forward the industry in Taiwan seasoning, to enter the Chinese domestic consumer market . Taiwan's creativity continues to grow, in the three-hit, no limit innovation, creative spirit and excellence a never catch up, how to make condiments into Tianjin, China, Taiwan, the retail channel market research qualitative depth interview research design methods, Castle is a Taiwanese village and MIT food industry the most red in the Chinese market, not only Shenju with quality assurance and good service for the Chinese Tianjin consumer preferences, health care will be healthy food seasonings market in Tianjin analysis, in Taiwan domestic market condiment station in Tianjin have a place to row, this research SWOT framework of STP 4P marketing mix, chain of retail outlets of market opportunities, understanding of local spices and combined with local related industries have been cultivating the Taiwan Tianjin businesses to quickly extend the concept by the business, manufacturers seeking to achieve cross-strait business cooperation, agents, distributors, changing the mainland lifestyle Taiwan, Taiwan is an opportunity for companies manufacturing spices, ECFA in June 2010 after the signing of but also through the Taiwan External Trade Association and the Tianjin Municipal Government in July 2010 the first exhibition in Tianjin famous Taiwan. Through depth interviews are related to transfer goods in Tianjin market access material manufacturers to make more appropriate future course of business marketing strategy, marketing strategy to promote better cross the marketing of the relevant industry, economic and trade exchanges, I hope the Taiwanese manufacturers continued stability of the family income, Cultivating Taiwan value and enhance the international competitiveness of Taiwan's operators hope to bring the best time opportunities. The Tianjin bring more healthy and delicious spices, creating win-win situation, and therefore people in the right place together with the collection of funds, personnel, technology, small and medium enterprises in Taiwan to fight for business resilience and perseverance, Taiwan based China, another cause of suffering praise carbon road heights.

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We introduce a framework for 3D object deformation with primary focus on man-made objects. Our framework enables a user to deform a model while preserving its defining characteristics. Moreover, our framework enables a user to set constraints on a model to keep its most significant features intact after the deformation process. Our framework supports a semi-automatic constraint setting environment, where some constraints could be automatically set by the framework while others are left for the user to specify. Our framework has several advantages over some state of the art deformation techniques in that it enables a user to add new features to the deformed model while keeping its general look similar to the input model. In addition, our framework enables the rotation and extrusion of different parts of a model.

As part of the neoliberal 'development project' and the spread of capitalism across Africa, most evaluation in Africa is rooted in dominant Western paradigms and approaches. This creates a two-pronged problem. First, imported Western evaluation methods and approaches may in fact lack validity, and thus be leading to wrong conclusions and bad development outcomes. Second, Western evaluation approaches may reinforce subjugation and cultural hegemony through neo-imperialism and the 'colonization of the mind.' This problem has been addressed in recent years through development of the concept of Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE). As a relatively nascent concept, there remains a need to define better and operationalize MAE. Chilisa's (2015) synthesis paper moved the field towards conceptualizing MAE to prevent it from becoming an empty buzzword. However, Chilisa's efforts fell short of offering a concise definition around which some consensus may arise. Given the current state of development of this increasingly influential concept, the purpose of this study is to contribute further to the conceptualization of MAE. Theoretically, this study is informed by the literature on a postcolonial critique of the neoliberal development project, along with literature on decolonizing and indigenous methodologies. Methodologically, I used the Delphi technique to solicit informed opinions from expert evaluators working in Africa systematically. I interviewed an additional two experts to provide an extra layer of validity to the findings. Further, through a document analysis of six illustrative evaluation reports, I pilot test the newly developed definition of MAE, and finally, through a survey filled out by the same experts, I prioritize the next steps that are important and feasible in advancing the concept. I posit that MAE is Africa developed approach to evaluation, using African worldviews and methods in the evaluation process. / Doctor of Philosophy / As part of the neoliberal ‘development project’ and the spread of capitalism across Africa, most evaluation in Africa is rooted in dominant Western approaches. This presents two problems. First, Western evaluation methods and approaches when used in Africa may in fact lack validity, and lead to wrong conclusions and bad development outcomes. Second, Western evaluation approaches may encourage subjugation of African culture through neo-imperialism and the ‘colonization of the mind.’ These problems have been addressed in recent years through the development of the concept of Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE). As a relatively nascent concept, there remains a need to define better MAE. Chilisa’s (2015) synthesis paper moved the field towards defining MAE to prevent it from becoming an empty buzzword. However, Chilisa’s efforts fell short of offering a concise definition around which some consensus may arise. Given the current state of development of this increasingly influential concept, the purpose of this study is to contribute further towards the definition of MAE. The theoretical framework for this study is informed by the literature on a postcolonial critique of the neoliberal development project, along with literature on decolonizing and indigenous methodologies. To achieve my purpose, I used the Delphi technique to solicit informed opinions from expert evaluators working in Africa systematically. I interviewed an additional two experts to provide an extra layer of validity to the findings. Further, through a document analysis of six illustrative evaluation reports, I pilot test the newly developed definition of MAE, and finally, through a survey filled out by the same experts, I came up with the next steps that are important and feasible in advancing the concept. I conclude that MAE is Africa developed approach to evaluation, using African worldviews and methods in the evaluation process.

The great success of the advertising industry in the 1950s created a diamond culture where diamonds are continuously associated with images of love and devotion. With all of the diamond's positive associations, no one could have imagined that such a precious jewel could have negative connotations. Yet in the 1990s, the label "blood diamond" emerged and became widely correlated with torture, rape, child labor, and environmental destruction. My three- manuscript dissertation covers the following topics: how diamond jewelry has become ingrained in American consumer culture, how lab-made diamond substitutes create new politics, and how diamonds created from ashes complicate consumers' relationship with diamond jewelry. These three manuscripts cover a series of interconnected ideas about symbolism and imagery of the diamond. In the first manuscript I present a history of how advertisements have influenced American consumer culture. The second manuscript elaborates on the themes established in the first manuscript by examining the political nature of lab-made diamonds in relation to American consumer culture. And finally, in the third manuscript the images presented in the first manuscript become even more complicated when the end product is literally made from ashes. Lab-made diamonds challenge traditional images of natural stones in a way that forces consumers to confront, and perhaps revise, the way they think about diamonds. / Ph. D.

This thesis examines William Dean Howells' two most notable novels of business, The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885) and A Hazard of New Fortunes (1890), suggesting that the business of literature, in its dissemination of success myths and its ultimate internalization of these myths, was complicit in America's industrial strife during the 1880s. Both novels operate meta-critically. In Silas Lapham, for instance, Howells dramatizes several unhealthy business behaviors that derive from prosperity tropes found in newspapers and other popular writings. In this novel, the focus is on the ways these tropes affect the individual - both the reader who consumes them and the writer who must produce them. Meanwhile, Hazard explores the effects of these myths within the industry of literary production, showing how the publishers themselves are susceptible to the same romanticized economic ideals they disseminate. These novels do not correct the problematic behaviors that popular writing likely had a role in inspiring. They certainly do not resolve the seemingly contradictory values within the publishing industry. But Silas Lapham and Hazard generate a clearer picture of the complex relationship between literature and business, in a time punctuated by literary disputes between realists and romantics, and violent strikes between the labor class and the capital class. / Master of Arts

Esta pesquisa teve no debate teórico sobre ready made, pop art e arte conceitual, sua motivação inicial, surgida da crítica ao fechamento intelectual e estético presente nos cânones exigidos pelos currículos escolares no Brasil. As implicações destes conceitos são discutidas em paralelo à elaboração de uma visão crítica das classificações europeias e norte-americanas como matrizes adequadas para a compreensão da criação de artistas como Arthur Bispo do Rosário, Brasil (1919-1988) e de Georges Adéagbo, Benin (1942). De forma complementar, o percurso do pesquisador-artista participa do processo de compreensão e análise. O foco recaia de um lado no material e matéria dos objetos do cotidiano, utilizados na obra de Arthur Bispo do Rosário e nos itinerários das obras de Georges Adéagbo, artista autodidata que expõe suas ideias e narrativas em forma de objetos escultóricos, ocupações de espaços públicos. Eles têm ainda em comum, as metodologias e os processos que espelham conceitos próprios e arqueologias de saberes ligados às suas próprias culturas e sociedades, além de constante construção de suas identidades. Esses processos de pensamento envolvem a ação mental (conceituação ou projeto mental) e a execução das ideias que se reflete em seus trabalhos de arte. O interesse principal de ambos está na análise do cotidiano representado por objetos de origem endógena e exógena que são fundidos e geram aspectos diferentes à materialidade, à narrativa, à desconstrução do próprio objeto como fenômeno (logia) da metamorfose a ele impressa, retirado de seu espaço de significação original, resignificado e ambientado no espaço-ser da arte como pensamento a partir do objeto de Bispo e, na auto-arqueologia inversa de Adéagbo. / This research had its initial motivation the theoretical debate on ready-made, pop art and conceptual art, which comes up from criticism of intellectual and aesthetic closure present in the canons required by the school curriculum in Brazil. The implications of these concepts are discussed in parallel with a critical view of the European and American statements of these matrices for understanding the creation of Arthur Bispo do Rosário, Brazil (1919-1988) and Georges Adéagbo, Benin (1942). In addition, the path of the researcher-artist himself, participates on the understanding and analysis proposed. The focus lies on the one hand, in the everyday objects materials used in the work of Arthur Bispo do Rosário and in the routes of Georges Adéagbo, who is a self-taught artist that exposes his ideas and narratives shaped objects \"sculptural\" and public spaces interventions. They still have in common, their methodology that mirror their own concepts and archaeologies of knowledge linked to their own cultures and societies as well as constant construction of their identities. These thought processes involve mental action (concept or mental project) and implementation of the ideals reflected in his works of art. Both have as their main concern the everyday life presented by fused endogenous and exogenous objects that generate different materiality, narrative and even the deconstruction of the object itself as phenomenology of its metamorphosis, once it was removed from its place of original of meaning, reframed in space-being for Bishop, or in reverse self-archeology for Adéagbo.

O efêmero é prerrogativa do mecanismo Moda. Na atualidade, sua face espetacular deriva da necessidade da manutenção da máquina capitalista, onde a utilização do design se encarrega do obsoletismo programado, apontando para o supérfluo e o mascaramento cosmético. A busca incansável pelo ineditismo formal culmina na apropriação por elementos de artisticidade, que reconfiguram a funcionalidade do vestir, agregando ao hibridismo Arte e Moda a pessoalidade e a leitura individual próprias da Arte pós-moderna. Se no Império do Efêmero de Lipovetsky a individualidade comanda o circuito, nesta nova conformação percebemos que a valorização individualizada é permeada por valores coletivos do belo eterno e imutável de Baudelaire, em que a elevação de produtos inicialmente funcionais à categoria de Arte tem a capacidade de transpassar o tempo dos presentes corrediços da contemporaneidade, fazendo com que a moda vestida de Arte se esparrame em direção ao futuro da consagração, numa busca de permanência um pouco além de sua efemeridade inerente. / The ephemeral is the prerogative of Fashion mechanism. Currently its spectacular view derives from the necessity of maintaining the capitalist machine, where the use of design takes care of programmed obsolescence, pointing to the superfluous and masking \"cosmetic\". The endless quest for novelty culminates in the formal appropriation for elements of artistry, that reconfigure the functionality of the dressing, adding hybridity Art and Fashion personhood and their own individual reading of postmodern art. If in the \"The Empire of Fashion: Dressing Modern Democracy\" by Lipovetsky of individuality leads the circuit, this new conformation realize that valuing individual is permeated by collective values of \"eternal and immutable beauty\" by Baudelaire, where the elevation of functional products initially to the category of Art has the ability to pierce the time of these contemporary sliding, making the art dressed in fashion spread toward the future of consecration, in a quest to stay a little ahead of its time inherently ephemererity.

I och med att konsumtionssamhället förbrukar mer än någonsin, har det blivit nödvändigt att flytta produktion till länder med kapacitet att producera höga kvantiteter. Det här har lett till att det blir allt viktigare för företagen att redovisa var produkterna kommer ifrån (COO). "Made in" märkningen är inte ovanlig, och är allmänt känd hos de flesta svenskar. Märkningen kan till och med uppfattas som en kvalitetsstämpel enligt tidigare forskning. Det här gällde dock endast industriländers “Made in” märkning samt för länder vars kulturs speglade konsuments. Men hur ofta COO används vid kvalitetsutvärdering ifrågasätts i rapporten eftersom det finns andra attribut som kan uppfattas som lättare att jämföra, till exempel pris. Pris är en vanlig kvalitetsmätare där konsumenten antar att ett högt pris är ekvivalent med god kvalitet och vice versa. Varumärke är även det ett vanligt attribut att förknippa med en varas kvalitet. Ett varumärke är någon konsument ofta är bekant med, och har byggt ett förtroende till. Både pris, varumärke och COO är alltså faktorer som kan komma att påverka konsumentens kvalitetsuppfattning. Uppsatsen syftar därför till att granska hur svenska konsumenter förhåller sig till COO vid kvalitetsmätning jämfört med attributen pris och varumärke. För att betona COO har vi valt att studera världens mest uppmärksammade "Made in" märkning, vilket är "Made in China". Kina har länge varit känt för att producera enorma kvantiteter mot låga kostnader och har sedan börja av 2000-talet haft en svindlande ekonomisk tillväxt, vilket skapar frågetecken om landet har kommit att bli ett industriland. Vi valde därför att tillägga frågeställningen om svenska konsumenter fortfarande upplever Kina som ett utvecklingsland. För att besvara frågorna utfördes en enkätundersökning där respondenterna fick besvara fjorton frågor om ämnet. Urvalet bestod av arbetande och studerande män och kvinnor i åldrarna 20 till 59 år. Enkätundersökningen gav 187 giltiga enkäter. Svaren resulterade i att COO, enligt respondenterna, var den minst viktiga variabeln vid kvalitetsbedömning. Dock kunde vi se en förändring i attityden hos majoriteten av de yngre respondenterna, samt hos de äldre kvinnorna. De uppfattade inte längre Kina som ett utvecklingsland. Trots det här var Kina det land som främst förknippades med dålig kvalitet enligt respondenterna, vilket ger en antydan om att landet ändå betraktas som ett utvecklingsland. Anledningen till att respondenterna väljer att kalla Kina för ett industriland, men ändå förknippar produkterna med lägre kvalitet kan bero på de kulturella olikheterna, eftersom respondenterna påvisar en viss grad av etnocentrism. För att respondenterna skulle se ett tillverkningsland som bra, ställdes krav på arbetsförhållanden, etik och miljö, som alla tre är frågor som rör kulturella, ekonomiska och politiska aspekter. Det här skapar en diskussion eftersom respondenterna tidigare angivit att tillverkningslandets politik, kultur och ekonomi inte är speciellt viktigt. / As the consumption society consumes more than ever, it has become necessary to move production to countries with the capacity to produce high quantities. This has made it important for the companies to report where the products come from (COO). The "Made in" label is not unusual and is generally known by most of the Swedish consumers. The label can even be perceived as a quality stamp according to previous research. However, it only applied to the industrial countries and those countries whose culture are similar to the consumer's. But how often is COO used in quality evaluation is questioned in this report since there are other attributes that can be perceived as easier to compare, for example price. Price is often used as a measurement of quality, where the consumer assumes that a high price is equivalent to good quality and vice versa. Brand is also a common attribute to associate with the quality of a product. Both price, brand and COO are factors that may affect the consumer's quality perception. Therefore, this essay aims to examine how Swedish consumers relate to COO in quality measurement compared to the attributes price and brand. To emphasize COO, we have chosen to study the world's most noticed "Made in" label, which is "Made in China". China has long been known for producing huge quantities for low costs and has since the beginning of 21th had a great economic growth, which creates a question if the country may be an industrial country today. Hence, we chose to add the question to our study, whether Swedish consumers are still experiencing China as a developing country or not. To answer these questions, a questionnaire survey was conducted, in which the respondents were asked to answer fourteen questions on the subject. The selection consisted of working and studying men and women in an aged range of 20 to 59 years old. The survey provided 187 valid questionnaires. The answers resulted in the COO, according to the respondents, being the least important variable in quality assessment. However, one could see a change in the attitude of the majority of the younger respondents, as well as for the older women. They no longer perceived China as a developing country. Despite this, China was the country that was mainly associated with poor quality according to the respondents, which suggests that the country is still considered a developing country. The reason why the respondents choose to call China an industrial country, but still associate the products with lower quality may be due to the cultural differences, since the respondents show a certain degree of ethnocentrism. In order for the respondents to see a manufacturing country as good, demands were made on working conditions, ethics and the environment, which all three are issues related to cultural, economic and political aspects. This creates a discussion since the respondents previously stated that the manufacturing country's politique, culture and economy are not particularly important. This paper will be continued in Swedish.